Connie Brown could have easily become a prolific cake decorator. But when she moved from Memphis, Tennessee, to Asheville in 1989, the cake decorating class at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College was already filled. So, she enrolled in a quilting class instead. “I knew very little about sewing and even less about making quilts,” says Brown, who took the class to meet new people. But it didn’t take long for Brown to fall in love with the world of fiber art and become a member of The Beaucatcher Bee, the Asheville Quilt Guild, and, in 2000, the Southern Highland Craft Guild. Today, Brown is a force in the regional quilting community and a recipient of the Guild’s Lifetime Achievement Award. According to the group’s handbook, this prestigious honor is “intended to recognize and salute exceptional contributions by an individual to the field of craft.” From now until April 30, work by past award recipients will be proudly exhibited in the Main Gallery at the Folk Art Center as part of A Legacy Worth Noting. Show curator Valerie Berlage says visitors can expect to see work in wood, clay, basketry, metal, natural materials, mixed media, and jewelry. Of course, one of Brown’s quilts will be on display, too.
A Legacy Worth Noting: Through April 30
Main Gallery at the Folk Art Center / Milepost 382, Blue Ridge Parkway, Asheville / southernhighlandguild.org